Geography talent

A person could argue that geography is more important now than ever before. Travel and information move so quickly in 2011 that distance between continental points is not the barrier it once was. Globalization is a term that is gaining traction, like it or not. But how much do you know about our world and the events that shape our collective culture?

Are you smarter than an eighth-grader? Probably not, if that eighth-grader is Josh Vogel. The Trinity Lutheran School student narrowly missed advancing in the preliminary round of the National Geographic Bee in Washington, D.C.

He was for the second straight year Missouri's representative in the competition. Among thousands of contestants nationwide, young Josh finished in the Top 54. He correctly answered seven of nine questions in the opening round, just missing the cut after a sudden death tiebreaker.

Congratulations to Josh for his second trip to the national contest. We have a feeling all of this geography knowledge will take him places. Actually, it already has.